1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for automatically controlling an aerodyne permitting the vertical avoidance of a zone, for example a dangerous weather zone or one in which there is a risk of the comfort and safety of the flight being affected.
2. Discussion of the Background
It applies in particular, but not exclusively, to the avoidance of an invisible zone, for example one of strong turbulence, such as clear air turbulence, or one in which the risk of icing is considerable. This zone is roughly delimited by a horizontal contour of large dimensions and upper and lower vertical limits. Such information is, for example, received by the aerodyne by way of a digital data transmission device, for example Data-Link, and has been sent by a ground station, possibly based on information transmitted by the neighbouring aerodynes equipped with an ADS (Automatic Dependent Surveillance) system.
Currently, it is up to the pilot to handle the meteorological problem manually, either by carrying out avoidance within sight of the zone, or by taking the risk of traversing the zone, these operations having to take account of a considerable number of parameters, and in particular, of the regulations in force within the air space traversed, of the performance of the aerodyne, and of the weight of fuel in its tanks. Moreover, given that the so-called clear weather meteorological phenomena are by definition invisible, it frequently happens that the pilot is warned of such a phenomenom only a very short time before entering the zone in which this phenomenom is located, and in many cases, this time is insufficient to enable him to take into account all the necessary parameters for determining the best avoidance trajectory.